Student life has always been a natural interest for the Carolina Union’s new executive director, Alexandra Marchesano. From her first days as an undergraduate at Wagner College in New York, Marchesano immersed herself in campus activities and involvement opportunities.
“I was very involved as a student,” Marchesano said. “I was president of student government, I was and still am a member of a sorority, and I think I chaired every committee possible on campus.”
For Marchesano, who on September 16th began her tenure as the fifth director in the Union’s history, this early dedication to student life and penchant for leadership positions foreshadowed her eventual career, although it took her a little time to discover that this was her path.
She spent a year after college working in the insurance industry, but soon decided it was time to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. She attended St. John’s University’s Student Development Practice in Higher Education, where she realized that student involvement could become her life’s work.
“I went to graduate school and I knew I wanted to work in higher education, but I didn’t know you could get paid to do this sort of thing, to help students in this way,” she said. “The people I worked with really encouraged me to go for it, and I took them up on it and here I am.”
Marchesano’s career has taken her from serving as Advisor for Student Programming at the College of Staten Island, to the Assistant Dean of Students at Lehigh University, to Director of Student Activities at Stony Brook University. Before coming to Chapel Hill, she was the Director of Campus Activities and Programs at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, serving in that role for eight years.
In her time at UNC-G, Marchesano’s accomplishments included increasing weekend programming on campus, implementing a risk-management assessment plan for student events, and establishing a Greek Life Task Force. Most impressive to Carolina students may be Marchesano’s experience drawing big music acts to campus. She launched the Triad College Music Festival while at UNC-G, and brought in artists such as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. And while at Stony Brook, she landed Bruno Mars.
Marchesano expects to bring an approachability and personal touch to her role as Union executive director. “It’s the caring part that I will bring to this job,” Marchesano said. “I’ll walk around campus and talk to students. I’ll ask them how they are doing and try to build a community with them. People sometimes focus on differences, but I try to reach out and build bridges. I try to see where we are similar.”
Ready to get more involved in campus life? Looking for great student organizations to join? Student Life & Leadership is hosting two involvement fairs that will feature more than 60 student organizations, there will be many opportunities to take the leap and join groups that match your interests and passions.
“We want to give First Years and all students an opportunity to jump into campus life and all that UNC has to offer," said Lee Roberts, Student Organizations Program Coordinator, for the Carolina Union’s Office of Student Life & Leadership. “So bring a friend, meet someone new, and explore new hobbies and passions.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the two fairs:
First Year Faves Involvement Fair
Who: Geared to First Year students (but open to all!) and 40+ student organizations
When: Tuesday, September 24th, 5-8pm
Where: Rams Head Plaza
What: Opportunities to join student organizations, plus a DJ and other performances
Fall Involvement Fair
Who: All students and 60+ student organizations
When: Wednesday, September 25th, 11am-2pm
Where: The Pit
What: Opportunities to join student organizations, plus Trolley Stop hot dogs, giveaways, and performances
Presidential candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders is coming to Carolina. UNC Young Democrats have announced that Sanders will speak at a campaign rally at the Bell Tower Amphitheater https://maps.unc.edu on UNC’s campus on Thursday, Sept. 19th.
The Carolina Union is providing venue scheduling, logistical and AV support for this event and is proud to assist the Young Democrats in this effort. We will continue to help all student organizations who want to contribute to political dialogue on campus throughout the 2020 election season and beyond.
Event Information for Students
At 2:30 pm, the student line will be forming near the amphitheater. Students must present a valid UNC One card to gain entry. No bags allowed. Entry will begin at 3:30pm.
Event Information for the General Public
A line will form near the amphitheater at 3:30pm. Entry will begin at 4pm. No bags allowed.
Parking
Use the Rams Head parking deck for event parking. The Bell Tower deck will not be available.
Maps
Refer to the map below for event and line locations.
Need space for your student organization's or university department's next event or meeting? Make a reservation at the Carolina Union! We have large event and performance venues, as well as smaller classrooms and meeting rooms available. We also manage reservations for classrooms and venues across campus. Officially registered student organizations and university departments may begin making online reservation requests at 9:00am on Thursday, January 23, for the following:
General Purpose Classrooms - Spring 2020
Union Meeting and Event Spaces - Fall 2020 (Spring 2019 is already available)
Visit ReserveCarolina.unc.edu to make your reservation. All organizations and departments wishing to book space must have a pre-existing Reserve Carolina account. If a new account needs to be requested or a password reset, please select the link under accounts on the Reserve Carolina webpage.
Only online reservations will be accepted until 1pm. The Event Services office (Carolina Union Room 3103) will open at 1pm for walk-in, phone call and email reservations.
Whether you have been dancing your entire life, only know the basics, or are just curious and eager to learn, there’s a place in Blank Canvas Dance Company for you. The self-professed “largest and most inclusive dance organization on campus” provides an opportunity to learn, practice, and perform all styles of dance, at all levels from beginner to highly experienced. With approximately 210 members, BCDC represents a large percentage of the dancing population on UNC’s campus, and offers something like a family to its members. “Blank Canvas is special because it is a dance support community for people who have been dancing all their lives, as well as people who have never danced before, but would like to try,” said Blank Canvas PR Chair Tiffany Oliver. “It also gives students the opportunity to make unforgettable friendships. Blank Canvas is special, because we are one big dance family.”
Blank Canvas typically performs once a semester in a showcase, usually held in Memorial Hall. Dancers who are interested in more performance opportunities can join the Blank Canvas Performance Team, which performs throughout campus several times a semester. Blank Canvas dancers are given the opportunity to attend a placement class each semester, to help them decide which dances to sign up for based on their preferred style and ability level. Dancers are assessed a level based on experience and ability, and are then invited to sign up for student-choreographed dances that match their level. Once dancers attend a placement class, they are official members of Blank Canvas.
Blank Canvas is entirely student-run, with a large officer board and a score of talented student choreographers. The company’s commitment to student involvement extends to its members, as Blank Canvas strives above all to make dance accessible and enjoyable for as many students as possible. Oliver stated that the company strives to keep membership and costume costs low to help keep the company both accessible and inclusive. If you’re looking for an opportunity to dance, perform, and make lifelong friendships, Blank Canvas could be the place for you. “Blank Canvas gives people an incredibly inclusive environment to express themselves, escape the stresses of everyday life, and get active,” enthused Oliver. “And all while sharing the experience with incredible people around them.”
NOTE: Applications to join the 2023 SPARK cohort are now open open through September 4th. The annual Spark retreat will take place September 20-22nd at YMCA Camp Weaver in Greensboro, NC. This is a free experience for students. Visit http://bit.ly/spark2023 to apply!
Daisha Singletary’s first weeks as a UNC student in the fall of 2016 were lonely ones. She came to Chapel Hill from Pitt County, NC, without knowing any other students on campus and was anxious about finding a sense of belonging.
“It was a harder transition than I prepared myself for,” Singletary, now a senior Exercise and Sport Science major, said. “The very first campus event I went to I was just standing there by myself, and everyone else was talking to each other. I’ve never felt so isolated.”
She remembers calling her mom and telling her about how lonely she felt, especially after coming from a high school where she knew almost everybody. She realized that finding a home at UNC was going to require effort on her part.
“I knew that if I wanted to be a part of a community, I had to go out and find it,” Singletary said. But she wasn’t sure where to start.
Through a chance meeting at the Achieving Carolina Excellence program, Singletary was invited to apply for the inaugural Spark retreat, which in 2016 was a new program designed to help women of color transition into college life. The vision of two UNC undergraduates, Anyssa Reddix ‘18 and Seteena Turner ‘18, Spark was held at Camp Oak Hill in Oxford, NC, where participants shared challenges facing women of color at a predominantly white institution. The retreat was co-sponsored by Carolina Union’s Office of Student Life & Leadership and the Center for Student Success & Academic Counseling, and received financial support from the Office of Student Wellness and the Department of Housing & Residential Education.
It wasn’t long after the rental bus pulled away from the Carolina Union to take Spark students to the retreat that Singletary felt acceptance. “I felt like it was okay,” she said. “It was okay to be myself. It was okay to be loud, to be bubbly, to be forward, because there was a group of women who would accept me for who I was.”
Sydney Adams, a senior Global Studies major from Richmond, VA, joined Spark following her first year. Adams’ early days at Carolina were similar to Singletary’s, and after a full year on campus she felt like she really had only made acquaintances rather than building true connections with people.
Her Spark retreat instantly changed that. A high ropes course on the program’s second day jolted her out her comfort zone, and a ceremony where participants were asked to let go of one burden in their lives helped her feel the strength of a real bond with other women.
“When I experienced the retreat myself, I had a feeling of community and love and care for a group of women who I identified very strongly with,” Adams said. “We are close because of moments like the transformation ceremony, where we have shared some of our deepest and darkest emotions.”
Adams and Singletary served as 2018-19 student co-directors of Spark, and evolved the program from a one-weekend retreat to an ongoing cohort program that strengthens relationships for women of color on campus. The program now has a permanent home in The Union’s Office of Student Life & Leadership, and support of full-time Union staff.
“The whole program is centered on making sure students are transitioned well to UNC, and then once you are transitioned we look at having the resources in place for continued success,” said Dr. Shauna Harris, Associate Director of Student Life & Leadership. “Do you have the social capital and support you need? We want to make sure women of color have all of that.”
Harris, along with program coordinator Sydney Howell, helped implement ongoing events and programs that support formal events like networking mixers and goal-setting workshops, to informal cohort check-ins and gatherings.
As the program has grown to include almost 100 women across three classes, Spark impact ripples even beyond the direct female participants. “The women who are involved take what they learn from Spark into all the different spheres that they go,” Adams said. “It catapults women to want to try more things or get involved in more groups, and I believe that is felt throughout our campus.”
For Singletary, Spark has planted seeds of a culture at Carolina that pushes women of color into cycles of success and advancement.
“It creates a fertile ground for growth and becomes a community of wanting to succeed, of wanting to push each other to be their best,” Singletary said. “And when you see somebody else who needs it, pushing them too and bringing them along on your journey. A community built on people who came before you can show the way, creating an even better Carolina experience.”
Welcome back to Carolina, everybody! As you get settled into campus, you may not be aware of all the great spaces and resources your Carolina Union has to offer. We hope you will come by often and use all the Union's great amenities and services!
We are home to the office of Student Life & Leadership, which supports Carolina's 800+ student organizations and hosts programs that help students hone leadership skills. Our office of Event Services helps student organizations and University departments plan and host events within our facility and around campus. Communications & Creative Services helps student organizations and University departments tell their unique stories through design, photography, videography and more. And our office of Fraternity & Sorority Life oversees the 61 fraternity and sorority organizations at Carolina.
Please visit our In the Union page for a complete rundown of what's in our facility, and check out some of our more popular spots below:
Our West Lounge is right inside our main entrance features Alpine Cafe and has newly-updated seating. Grab a sandwich and coffee, and settle in to do some work or chat with friends. Upstairs, you will find the Aquarium Lounge, as well as other nooks that are a great place for quiet study or relaxing.
Our Art Gallery is in Room 2200 (this is on the side of the Union that’s closest to Davis Library, right by our Welcome Desk). We invite you to walk around and not only see the pieces in this room, but also the numerous works throughout the Union. The Gift is one of our favorites -- it forms the walkway facing Student Stores, and is a brick mosaic created by Senora Lynch of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe.
The Union’s ground floor is dominated by The Underground, one of our largest and most engaging areas! Collaboration spaces are right by the foot of the stairs and feature AV-equipped conference tables, while treadmill desks are located at the back. The Meditation Room sits in the very back of The Underground in room 1101A (and it’s cold, so bring a sweater!), while ping pong and pool tables are joined by a brand new video gaming area.
As a major bonus, day lockers are available free of charge to any UNC student! Just make sure you get your stuff at the end of the day since they’re cleaned out every night around 11pm.
The Union offers gender-neutral restrooms to all students, faculty, and staff, which are located by Wendy’s. The Union provides a lactation room for parents to nurse their children and also contains a changing table and rocking chair. This is room 3200 on the third floor near the Aquarium Lounge.
We hope that knowing a bit more about the amenities offered here helps you settle in a little faster. Knowing what you have access to is just the start and we hope that you all make great memories here in the Union the coming semester and years!
Get ready for a night of food, fun, and giveaways! Hosted by the Carolina Union and now in its 23rd year, FallFest has become an important tradition at Carolina by providing a celebration that introduces new and returning students to the many opportunities to get involved in campus life through student organizations, academic departments, and campus recreation.
Approximately 25,000 people are expected to attend, with about 400 student organizations, university departments, and sports clubs on hand to meet students and attract new membership. This year's event will also feature the UNC Men's Soccer team playing an exhibition match against rival NC State at the newly-renovated soccer stadium. FallFest is open to the entire University community, and starts immediately following New Student Convocation, held nearby at Carmichael Arena.
Who: New and returning students,
When: Sunday, August 18, 2019 immediately following New Student Convocation about 8:15 p.m.
Where: Hooker Fields, UNC-CH campus
Cost: FREE!
Event Map: FF2019_ Map_11x17.pdf
Directory: FallFest2019_Student_Org_Directory.pdf
Visit our FallFest event page for further information and announcements, and check out our preview video below!
Never fear, Tar Heels: the Carolina Union is open for the summer. Whether you want to grab a bagel from Alpine, get some work done in a study room, or get out of the heat with some friends, the Union is excited to support you this summer!
CUAB will additionally offer special programs for students over the summer. If you’d like the chance to help plan events like free movies, Pelican’s, and trivia, apply to serve on CUAB’s Summer Board at www.tinyurl.com/cuabsummer2019
The Union, Alpine Bagel, and Wendy’s are operating on different schedules during the summer. Beginning on Wednesday, May 15th, the Union is open from 7:30am-9pm for weekdays and 7:30am-7pm on Friday, May 17th. The Union is closed May 18 and May 19, and will close at 5pm on May 24 in observance of Memorial Day Weekend. The Union will reopen on Tuesday, May 28th, at 7:30am.
Alpine Bagel is open from 7:30am-8pm on Mondays through Thursdays, and 7:30am-5pm on Fridays.
Wendy’s will reopen for the summer on May 15th on Mondays through Fridays from 10:30am to 3pm, until July 30th.
Have a great summer, Tar Heels! Be sure to stop by your Union.
Ready to celebrate the end to the academic year? UNC will once again be abuzz with festivities for Last Day of Classes (LDOC) celebrations on April 26th. Music, food, performances, films, and athletic events are part of this year's LDOC fun-filled lineup for UNC students. Bring your One Card to ensure access to all events!
Check out the full schedule below! And if you're a student, please help improve future LDOC celebrations by taking this short survey, which will enter you to win great prizes like an Amazon Echo Dot: tinyurl.com/ldoc19
Also note that there will be night-time food stations:
Manning Drive P2P Stop: 9:50-10:20; 11:00-11:30
Ridge Rd P2P Stop: 9:15-9:45; 10:25-10:55; 11:35-12:05
Lower Quad P2P Stop: 9:15-9:45; 10:25-10:55; 11:35-12:05
Upper Quad P2P Stop: 9:50-10:20; 11:00-11:30
Granville Towers: 9:15-11:30
